Make Good Italian Food Great. Start With Fresh Herbs

Traditional Italian food uses only fresh ingredients including fresh Italian herbs. There are a variety of fresh herbs common in Italian cooking. Nothing taste better than home cooking using your own fresh herbs. Those store bought dried herbs cannot even come close.

How can you tell the difference between and herb and a spice?

The leaves and stems of aromatic plants are called herbs, and the root, seeds, bark or fruit is called a spice. Herbs have fragrant oils which give Italian food its wonderful flavor and aroma.

Oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley are commonly used Italian herbs.

Basil is a member of the mint family, and like all mint herbs, it is extremely fragrant when picked fresh. Basil can turn black when cut with a metal knife, therefore it’s a good idea to tear the leaves before tossing them into your sauce or pasta dish. Basil is the primary herb for the famous pesto sauce.

Oregano is another popular herb in both Italian and Greek food. Most people are familiar with this herb in tomato based pasta sauces and with meats.

Italian Parsley, also known as flat-leaf parsley, is readily available in most grocery stores and is easy to distinguish it from the curly variety frequently used as a garnish. Italians favor this parsley for cooking because it has a much better flavor, while the curlier variety is best saved for garnishing your dish.

Rosemary is another widely available herb and resembles a little branch from an evergreen tree. This is one of the most fragrant of all the fresh herbs and it will retain its flavor and aroma when dried. Excellent in vegetables, this herb can also be kneeded into bread dough such as focaccia.

Sage has long, broad leaves and is the herb which flavors the traditional Italian Saltimbocca dish. Sage is also very fragrant so be sure you don’t use too much and overwhelm your meal.

Thyme is another herb of the mint family, but in contrast to the other mints, it has tiny leaves that can easily be thrown whole into your sauce or dish. This herb can be used in most recipes because it adds flavor without overpowering the rest of your dish.

There are some basic rules for cooking with fresh herbs. A good general rule of thumb is to use 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs needed in a dish. But remember, cooking is an art and you can use as much or as little as you like.

Try adding your own fresh Italian herbs to liven up your everyday dishes!

Tagged with: common italian herbs • cooking with fresh herbs • cooking with Italian herbs • easy italian cooking • fresh herbs • italian herbs

Filed under: cooking with herbs • garden recipes

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